1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a modular jack, and more particularly to a modular jack having a terminal module locked in a housing.
2. Description of Related Art
Modular jack are widely used in network system. Such a conventional modular jack is, for example, typically disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,457,993; 6,450,837; 6,431,918; 6,368,151; 6,354,884; 6,319,062; 6,203,379; and 5,674,093. The modular jack comprises a dielectric housing and a terminal module inserted in the housing. The housing includes a pair of opposite side walls, and opposite top and bottom walls perpendicular to the pair of side walls. A room is defined by the top wall, bottom wall and side walls to receive the terminal module for mating a mating modular plug. The terminal module includes a dielectric plate and a plurality of terminals insert molded in the plate. The terminal module is secured in the room via the interference engagement between the side walls of the housing and the plate of the terminal module.
However, since the terminal module is not locked in the housing, so the terminal module has a risk to offset from the housing which consequently induces the modular jack can not electrically engage with the mating modular plug.
Hence, an improved modular jack is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a modular jack having a terminal module locked in a housing.
To fulfill the above-mentioned object, a modular jack according to the present invention comprises a dielectric housing and a terminal module inserted in the housing. The housing includes a pair of opposite side walls and opposite top and bottom walls perpendicular to the pair of side walls. A room is defined by the top wall, bottom wall and side walls to receive the terminal module for mating a mating modular plug. The bottom wall has a pair of first locking means defined on an upper surface thereof. The terminal module includes a dielectric plate and a plurality of terminals insert molded in the plate. The plate has a pair of second locking means defined on a lower surface thereof. The terminal module is locked in the housing via the first locking means projecting into the second locking means, thereby preventing the terminal module from offsetting from the housing.
In this design, the housing and the terminal module respectively has first locking means and second locking means, the terminal module is locked in the housing via the first locking means projecting into the second locking means. So the terminal module has no risk to offset from the housing thereby ensure the modular jack electrically engage with the mating modular plug.